Seriously, did you even know this was a thing?
When it comes to your child’s birthday party, not only are you expected to send creative invitations, plan an unforgettable party, and send home party favors that would make Martha Stewart proud, but apparently you are also required to send appropriately-worded, and perhaps even professionally-designed, “thank you” notes after the party.
It seems like after all the effort you put in to make the big day perfect, your guests should be sending you thank you notes!
Seriously, sending thank you notes is a great idea. But if you rely on Google to get it right, you’re missing the point.
You can purchase beautifully designed thank you notes from several online vendors, which is not surprising. What is quite unexpected is that there are also a seemingly unlimited number of sources that advise you on what to say in your thank you note.
In fact, they go so far as to give you templates where all you have to do is fill in the guest’s name and the gift they brought, and your heart-felt note of appreciation is good to go.
And this is where the dispensers of birthday party advice and etiquette have it all wrong.
There is really one reason to send a thank you note following your child’s birthday party. And that is to teach your child about gratitude and instill in her a habit of always being grateful for what life brings.
Professionally designed cards and pre-worded messages will do nothing to develop your child’s sense of gratitude.
While it may not be as pretty or sound as fancy, the big rule for sending your party guests thank you notes, is that they should be something that was obviously done by your child. It’s your responsibility to get them in the mail, but it’s his responsibility to design them and word them.
Here are a few ideas for making the thank you note something your child will enjoy doing, while absorbing the lessons on gratitude at the same time.
Make a Picture and Copy It
Instead of purchasing professionally designed cards, have your child design a card. This “card” can take on any shape or size. It can be as simple as handing your child a blank piece of paper and asking her to draw her favorite party memory, or how it made him feel to celebrate with all of his friends.
Use a color copier to make a copy for each guest. Then include a personal note on each “card” that could be anything from a simple “thank you for celebrating with me,” to something more detailed depending on your child’s age.
Obviously, if she needs help writing it out, you can pitch in, but try to let her come up with the words she wants to use.
Send Notes that are Hand-Written by Your Child
If you do decide to go with a professionally designed thank you note, make sure your child writes out the message inside the card. Only the youngest of children are exempt from this.
It doesn’t matter if it’s hard to read, or if it’s written in purple crayon, or in big, uneven letters. Having your child write out the thank you message really brings home the feelings of gratitude you’re trying to instill in them.
It’s also more special and meaningful to your young guest when he receives something written by his friend, which will likely closely resemble what and how he would have delivered the message.
If your child is uncomfortable with this, or it feels like a little too much work, it can help for you to write out the message, and then he can copy it in his handwriting onto the card.
Include a Photograph From the Party
If your child doesn’t enjoy drawing (remember we want this to be a fun activity), consider including a photograph you’ve taken at the party with your thank you note.
This can be a group photo, or if you’re really organized and the party is relatively small, you can make it a point to take a photo of your child with each guest at some point throughout the party.
Your child may even want to write her thank you note directly on the back of the photo.
Decorate the Envelope
Kids rarely receive personal mail, so the arrival of the thank you note will be exciting to your guest. Make it even more fun by having your child decorate the envelop.
This can consist of anything as simple as adding some bling with a few colorful markers, to stickers or glitter if you want to get really fancy.
Your child will enjoy doing this as much as her guest will enjoy receiving it, and it gives her a chance to really personalize each card. This is also a nice option for those who are too young to write out the thank you message.
However you decide to do your thank you notes, make sure the focus remains on teaching your child about gratitude and personalizing the message to his guest.
You’ll have plenty of time to focus on getting this part of the birthday party experience just right when you let KidsPartyCharacters.com handle all the details of your child’s party. With over 200 characters to choose from, and packages including balloon artists and face painting, KidsPartyCharacters.com will help you create a party that leaves both your child and his guests full of gratitude and life-long memories.
Book your next party today at KidsPartyCharacters.com, and connect with us on Facebook for ideas and inspiration for your child’s next magical celebration.
No comments:
Post a Comment